How can hospitals improve discharge planning?

Particularly for patients with complex needs, effective communication is a key enabler of the discharge process: “hospital discharge planning for frail older people can be improved if interventions address family inclusion and education, communication between health care workers and family, interdisciplinary …

At what point during a hospital stay does planning for discharge begin?

It should begin soon after you are admitted to the hospital and at least several days before your planned discharge. The January 23/30, 2013, issue of JAMA has several articles on readmissions after discharge from the hospital. Know where you will go after you are discharged. You may go home or to a nursing facility.

What is the first thing to plan for patient discharge planning?

The process of discharge planning includes the following: (1) early identification and assessment of patients requiring assistance with planning for discharge; (2) collaborating with the patient, family, and health-care team to facilitate planning for discharge; (3) recommending options for the continuing care of the …

Why is discharge planning important for a hospital?

Many of these complications can be attributed to discharge planning problems, such as: Involving the patient and family in discharge planning can improve patient outcomes , reduce unplanned readmissions, and increase patient satisfaction. More and more, hospitals are focusing on transitions in care as a way to improve hospital quality and safety.

Who is the author of breathing life into discharge planning?

See “ Breathing Life into Discharge Planning ” by Alfred J. Chiplin, Jr. (site visited May 15, 2015).

How are discharge planning tools different from patient assessment tools?

Hospital discharge planning tools differ from patient assessment tools in that hospital discharge planning tools are used only within the general acute-care hospital to inform patient transition into post-acute care. Patient assessment tools are used across care settings to consistently measure and monitor changes in patient status.

When is a patient considered to be discharged from the hospital?

The Medicare Claims Manual provides that a patient may be considered to have been discharged when s/he is either physically required to leave the hospital (not merely transferred to another inpatient setting) or when s/he remains in the hospital but at a lower level of care.